Thornhill Academy. Chapter 56

My boots hit the corridor floor in a steady, furious rhythm, ***thud, thud, thud,*** each step feeding the storm clawing through my chest. I needed air. Space. Anything that didn’t smell like Evander’s dragon fire or sound like the echo of my own words biting back at me. By the time I slam through the dorm doors and into the crisp air outside, I’m running purely on instinct. My hound is pacing beneath my skin, restless and wild, demanding freedom.

“Pierce!”

The voice snaps through the haze, sharp and commanding. I skid to a stop at the edge of the path and look up just long enough to see Professor Hill standing there, coat swishing, eyes narrowed.

“Where the hell do you think you’re...” He pauses, his brows knitting tighter as his gaze scans my face. “What’s gotten into you?”

I don’t answer. I can’t. The words are too tangled with my guilt, rage, and confusion; none of them fit right on my tongue. I push past him, shoulder catching his arm, and keep walking.

“Pierce!” he barks again, tone harder now, authority dripping from every syllable. “Slow down!”

I don’t. Not when every nerve in my body is on fire. Not when my hound is clawing to get out, snapping at the edges of my control. The smell of scorched earth and pine hits me as the training field comes into view. I barely make it ten more steps before my restraint snaps. I drop to one knee, my palms hitting the dirt. The shift tears through me in a single breath, bones cracking, fire rushing under my skin, vision sharpening into shades of blood and smoke. My growl rips through the air as my claws dig into the ground. The forest calls, dark and vast and mercifully empty, and I answer. Without another thought, I bolt forward, my hound's massive paws pounding the earth, heat spilling from my chest with every breath. Trees blur past me, branches snapping underfoot as I charge into the woods, leaving the academy, the fight, and every damn confusing emotion behind. All that’s left is the sound of my heartbeat and the roar of my own fury echoing through the trees.

**Cassian**

Kael Pierce has always had a temper. Brilliant student, natural-born fighter, but gods, that boy burns too hot for his own good. I’ve seen it a hundred times before, the rage simmering just beneath the surface, waiting for an excuse to bleed out. But this....this was different. I’d been on my way back to my cabin behind the dorms, a cup of coffee in hand and the rare intention of having a quiet evening to myself, when he tore past me like a storm. Didn’t so much as glance in my direction. The rage rolling off him was palpable, like standing too close to an open flame. I stopped mid-step, brows furrowing. “Pierce,” I called out, tone sharp enough to catch most students in their tracks. Not him, though. He didn’t even flinch. That alone was enough to make me pause. Curiosity, that old habit I can never quite kill, flickered to life. I reached out, just a touch, mentally brushing the edges of his thoughts as he stalked away.

*Chaos. Flames. A heated argument. Evander Drayke. And at the centre of it all… a girl.*

Of course. Not just any girl, either. Allison Rivers. I withdrew immediately, jaw tightening. I don’t make a habit of prying into students’ private affairs, not unless there’s a reason, but her name has been crossing my desk far too often lately. I exhaled slowly, rubbing a hand across the back of my neck. Of course, it’s her. It’s always her lately. Still, I remind myself, they’re young. Tempers flare. Bonds form and break in this place faster than the moon cycles. I’ve seen far worse drama play out in these halls over the years. Whatever’s happening between Drayke, Pierce, and Rivers, it’s probably trivial. Hormonal nonsense. Not worth ruining my weekend over. I start walking again, coffee still in hand, though I can’t help glancing toward the forest where Kael disappeared. The wards ripple faintly in the distance; his magic is wild and unrestrained. I sigh through my nose.

“Trouble always finds the passionate ones,” I murmur to myself, and head back toward my cabin.

Still… something about that girl keeps tugging at the edges of my mind. Something off. Something not entirely normal. I push the thought aside, for now. I’ve learned better than to chase ghosts on my weekends. But the unease lingers long after I close my door.

**Allison**

The sound of my door slamming makes me jump, but when I rush into the living space, it’s just Evander standing there, pacing like a caged beast, his hands running through his hair in that way that screams barely-contained fury.

“Evander?” I say carefully. “What the hell was that?”

He doesn’t answer. Just keeps pacing, jaw tight, golden eyes flashing like embers about to ignite.

“Where’s Kael?” I try again, stepping closer.

His head snaps toward me, his tone sharp and biting. “Why?”

I blink, folding my arms. “Why? Because he was just here, you were both being all secretive, and now my door is getting body-slammed like it owes someone money. What happened?”

That makes him pause. His shoulders sag, the tension in his body deflating all at once as he exhales. The dragon fades from his eyes, leaving just Evander, tired, frustrated, and maybe a little regretful.

“Sorry,” he mutters, voice lower now. “We… had a disagreement.”

I tilt my head, unconvinced. “A disagreement? What kind of disagreement ends with him storming off like the devil’s on his heels?”

His gaze flicks away, landing somewhere near the floor. “It’s fine,” he says finally, though it sounds anything but fine. “He’s not going to say anything.”

That phrasing—*say anything*—makes my stomach twist.

I take a step closer, narrowing my eyes. “Say anything about what, Evander?”

He looks up at me then, expression guarded but soft, as if he’s trying to protect me from something… or himself.

“About us,” he says quietly. “About the bond.”

I don’t get the chance even to process Evander’s words because suddenly there’s a rapid knock followed by the unmistakable sound of Tessa’s voice, loud enough to rattle the hinges.

“Girlllllll! Let me in before I start screaming and draw a crowd!”

I groan and hurry to the door before she makes good on that threat. When I pull it open, Tessa all but tumbles inside, and the look on her face when she spots Evander standing behind me, is priceless. Her mouth drops open like she’s about to scream again.

“Wh—what’s going on in here?” she demands, voice pitching high with the kind of scandalised delight that only Tessa can manage.

I roll my eyes, fighting a smirk. “Nothing,” I say smoothly, even though my pulse is still thundering from everything. “Evander was just… dropping by with some notes from class.”

Evander, bless him, nods stiffly like the world’s worst liar. “Right. Notes.”

Tessa narrows her eyes between the two of us, then she folds her arms with a sly grin.